MANSFIELD — You can’t win a conference championship in January, but you can lose one.
High school basketball’s conference races are beginning to heat up now that the calendar has flipped.
Since several area schools postponed their games tonight because of Ohio State’s national semifinal game against Texas in the Cotton Bowl and an impending winter storm system, it’s a good time to take a look at the championship chases beginning to come into focus:
Ohio Cardinal Conference
The three-way logjam atop the OCC standings was broken Tuesday when New Philadelphia upset Wooster at Wooster. Mansfield Senior and Lexington are tied atop the standings at 5-1. Wooster is 5-2, while Ashland and New Philadelphia are 3-3.
Senior High could have a slight advantage as five of its six remaining OCC games will be played at home. That includes a rematch against Lexington on Jan. 28. Lex beat the Tygers 74-70 before Christmas.
The Minutemen should get Brayden Fogle, the reigning OCC Player of the Year, back from injury sometime this month. Fogle broke his wrist during the football season.
Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference
Shelby’s five-year stranglehold on the MOAC title is in jeopardy.
Marion Harding is 6-1 in MOAC action, a half-game ahead of River Valley (5-1). Shelby is 4-2 with conference losses to both Harding and RV. Meanwhile Pleasant, which handed River Valley its only conference loss, is 3-3.
The Whippets have dropped three of their last four, but all three losses came to non-conference opponents. Shelby visits Marion Harding on Thursday in a game that could go a long way in determining the fortunes of both team.
Mid-Buckeye Conference
The MBC is down to five teams after Loudonville departed for the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference.
With six-time defending champ Lucas in the middle of a rebuild, the door is open and Kidron Central Christian is the heir apparent. The Comets are 3-0 with a win over Mansfield Christian at The Furnace.
The Flames are 3-1 in MBC play. MCS is at Kidron on Feb. 7.
Firelands Conference
Crestview is in the hunt for a third straight FC title, but the road to the title is fraught with obstacles.
The Cougars are 5-0 in FC action, with defending co-champ Norwalk St. Paul and Mapleton sitting at 4-1 and Monroeville at 4-2.
Crestview won at Mapleton the week before Christmas but hasn’t played St. Paul yet.
The Cougars host the Flyers on Thursday to conclude the first round of conference play and close the regular season with a trip to Norwalk on Feb. 15.
Knox Morrow Athletic Conference
Fredericktown shared the KMAC title with Northmor last year and is in the hunt again this winter. The Freddies are alone atop the conference standings at 6-0 with Cardington (5-1) and Centerburg (4-1) hot on their heels.
Fredericktown will make the trip to Cardington on Tuesday after handing the Pirates their only KMAC loss in early-December.
Wayne County Athletic League
Hillsdale got off to a late start because of the football team’s run to the Division VII state championship game. The Falcons are 2-1 in WCAL play after last week’s disheartening home loss to Chippewa.
The Falcons have a brutal double-weekend beginning with tonight’s game at league-leading Smithville (5-0). Hillsdale hosts Norwayne (4-0) on Saturday.
The Falcons will play an NBA-style schedule (three games per week) for the rest of the regular season.